S5, E21: Feel-Good Fridays | A Hidden India, a Celebrity Elephant, and the Future of California Wine

Welcome back to Feel-Good Friday. Every Friday through the end of June, Unpacked is popping into your feed with a brand-new series designed to carry you into the weekend a little lighter. Each episode, host Aislyn Greene and producer Nikki Galteland are joined by a different Afar staffer to share three travel stories that made them smile, tear up (in a good way), or rethink what’s possible. Funny, inspiring, heartwarming—the only rule is no downers.

This week, we’re joined by Afar’s deputy editor, Jennifer Flowers, and the three of us travel from the Himalayan foothills to the African savanna to the rolling hills of Sonoma.

Transcript

Aislyn: Welcome everyone to Unpacked by Afar. I’m Aislyn Greene.

Nikki: And I’m Nikki Galteland and today we’re very excited because we are joined by the wonderful Jennifer Flowers. Welcome.

Jenn: Hello. Happy Friday. It is so great to be here.

Nikki: Yes, happy Friday.

Aislyn: Jenn, we have been looking forward to having you on all week because this is feel good Friday.

Jenn: Woo hoo!

Nikki: We are here together again to share some news that is making us feel good this week. So today we have a story about sustainable tourism in one of the most beautiful places on earth.

Jenn: And a celebrity elephant.

Aislyn: As well as a California incubator that is seeding the state’s next great winemakers.

And we’re back. Nikki, let’s start with you. What feel good story do you have for us today?

Nikki: So many, many years ago, I spent several months living in the state of Uttarakhand in India. And I am excited because that area is seeing a lot more tourism. There’s 60 percent more visitors in 2025 than there were in 2018, which is really exciting because I think it is just the most beautiful place on earth, and I think it challenges people’s perceptions of what India is like. I know a lot of people might imagine really big, bustling cities like Mumbai or New Delhi, or maybe the picture is sort of like the high mountainous regions of Ladakh or like very tropical areas.

This is like a Goldilocks zone that is green and lush, crisp and cool. I was there in the fall and it was perfect sweater weather with blue skies and like snowy mountains in the background. So it’s truly an amazing place. It’s also one of the places in India that has a variety of big cats. So you could potentially see Bengal tigers or leopards or snow leopards. It’s just an amazing place with cool people, and I am excited to see it get more tourism.

Jenn: That sounds incredible. This is actually one of my bucket list places that I’ve been reading literature about my whole life. So the fact that you got to live there, I’m so, so envious. So tell me, with this rise in tourism, has there been any issue with overtourism?

Nikki: There has. And that’s a really good thing to point out. So they’ve had problems, particularly with environmental degradation. Like I said, there’s some really important environmental treasures here that we want to protect as tourism increases. And also some problems with infrastructure that was built maybe too quickly and ends up getting washed out in mudslides. This area does get a lot of rain at certain times of year. So you want to be really careful as tourism, you know, comes up in an area like this that is typically pretty rural. You also want to be careful that it’s not people coming in from outside and kind of like gawking at a rural way of life. And so there are some really cool tour operators that I think are being mindful of this and trying to make sure that as they bring visitors into these communities, that they’re doing it in a way that’s good for the environment and good for the local communities that live there.

Aislyn: And I feel like that’s such an Afar approach, you know, making sure that we’re building tourism in a sustainable way. So will you tell us more about what those tour operators are doing?

Nikki: Part of the thing that’s really cool is that they’re setting up homestays and guest houses that are run either maybe by one family or even more often by several families in the community together to kind of help spread out that economic impact into more people’s homes. So you will be able to stay at like a guest house, and then they organize it so that you can walk from place to place. So maybe you’ll have a week-long itinerary walking through this like beautiful, hilly landscape with the pine and oak forests and maybe seeing some cool wildlife. And each place that you’re going, you’re going on foot. So it has a much lower environmental impact.

Jenn: Oh man, that sounds amazing.

Nikki: Yeah, it’s very fun. And then okay, so one other thing. One other thing I just wanted to note is that it’s really interesting to me that most of the increase in tourism has been from Indian national. So domestic tourism within India. And a lot of people will go to, there’s some cool cities around there, like Nainital has a beautiful lake. And so some of those areas are are verging on overtouristed. But I think it’s still sort of under the radar for the international audience. I think people are kind of sleeping on this region, and I’m excited as it gets a little bit more of a reputation and the infrastructure develops for more people from outside of India to get a chance to see it as well.

Aislyn: I also want to know about the literature that Jenn was reading. Maybe we can share some of those books.

Jenn: Oh, sure. Happy to.

Nikki: Yes. And so, Jenn, what is making you feel good this Friday?

Jenn: Well, some people like to go to the beach for vacation. And I like to listen to scientists talk about wildlife migration corridors.

Nikki: Nice.

Aislyn: Of course you do.

Jenn: I do, yeah, I went to a conference one summer, like that’s kind of my thing. And I have a deep love for African bush elephants or Loxodonta africana for the nerds listening. And why do I love them? They’re the largest land mammals on earth, so you can’t deny just their magnificence. They’re just kind of physical presence. They’re also really social complex beings. They mourn their dead. They live in matriarchal societies. They help keep ecosystems healthy by opening up pathways. And the babies with their little trunks are so cute. Like, how can you not fall in love with an elephant when you see the little baby, like running with its little legs? You know it’s cute. Like running after mom. Oh, so was the world celebrated David Attenborough turning 100 this month? I kind of went down a bit of a rabbit hole and have been thinking a lot about a very special, very famous elephant named Craig.

Nikki: So is this like your version of a celebrity scoop?

Aislyn: Yeah, absolutely.

Jenn: Back in October, I was on safari at Angama Amboseli, which is located in the Amboseli ecosystem, which is one of the last places in the world where you can see Super tuskers, which are these elephants with tusks so massive that they almost scrape the ground. Like I’m talking like Craig, this is where I met Craig, and his tusks weigh about 100 pounds each.

Nikki: Wow.

Aislyn: That is amazing. I feel like number one, I want to know why Craig, of all the names, and number two, I want to really understand, like the size and scope of these tusks. So what was it like to see Craig in the wild?

Jenn: Oh my God, it was unforgettable. I watched him pull these entire bushes from the ground, while all these other younger male elephants just kind of deferred to him. And at one point he got so close to the car that he, like, walked beside our open air vehicle and reappeared on the other side. And it kind of freaked me out. But he’s a really chill elephant. So our guys were like, it’s absolutely fine. But like, if an elephant is mad, it can really mess up a vehicle. Like if they’re like threatened or so I was like, okay, like I’ve done this for quite a while now and I’m a little nervous. But they were like, absolutely, Craig is like, he’s habituated, he’s really chill. He’s used to this. And I just remember his body casting a shadow over the car in our faces as he passed by. It was exhilarating. I was a little outside of my comfort zone and I would do it again. Ten out of ten would do it again.

Nikki: Amazing.

Jenn: Sadly, Craig passed away just three months later in January at the ripe old age of 54 from natural causes. And I know that might not sound like a Feel Good Friday at first, but for a super tusker, it’s actually a huge conservation win that he lived this long. Not long ago, an elephant with tusks size almost certainly would have been poached for ivory or killed because it was raiding crops. So the fact that Craig lived a full life in the wild means that thousands of people fought to protect this ecosystem from local communities and conservation groups like Big Life Foundation to safari lodges like Angama Amboseli and even figures like David Attenborough, who inspired generations to care about the natural world. And my guide, who grew up in the area, was beaming as he explained that more wildlife, not just elephants but also lions and other key species, have begun returning because it’s now safer to live there. And that is real, visible conservation progress.

Aislyn: That is so cool. And Jenn, I feel like you’re kind of like Afar’s Attenborough. Oh my gosh, I am flattered.

Jenn: I don’t think I could live up to that.

Aislyn: We’re going to make you like a sweatshirt, or at least a t-shirt that says that.

Jenn: Attenborough-wannabe? Is that...

Aislyn: Yes. This, or at least part of the club. You know, you’ve been talking about this for years, and I think you’ve inspired so many Afarians to go on Safari and really understand and appreciate conservation and African countries. Like, for example, I saw my first baby elephants, two little elephants, like playing in Tanzania last year in 2025, and one like knocked the other elephant over, and then they were kind of wrestling and playing in the mud. And I just was so charmed, like almost brought to tears by this sight in the wild. So thank you for inspiring all of us with your stories.

Jenn: Well, you must return to East Africa and I recommend Amboseli just because, um, apparently Craig was a bit of a Casanova, so there are a lot of little descendants of him likely wandering around Amboseli today.

Nikki: Craig Juniors with the little tusks.

Aislyn: Oh, and how much do they weigh? Like 20 pounds when you’re a year old. Oh.

Jenn: I think there are also, like, verging into the tonnage, like, very young. It’s crazy how big these animals are. I mean, they are the largest land mammals on the planet, which is amazing.

Nikki: Incredible.

Aislyn: It’s so mind blowing to think about. And I feel like, you know how, like your parents would measure you on the wall. I want to see like an elephant measurement going up the wall of one of these safari camps.

Jenn: Oh I love that. Well, just imagine how much food they need to eat every day to grow to that size. It’s pretty incredible to just watch them eat. They just eat all day. It’s crazy. Well, Aislyn, what story do you have for us this week?

Aislyn: Well, you know, I just realized that there is an animal through-line here, and you said the word rabbit hole earlier, and we’re going to go down a wine-making rabbit hole in California.

Nikki: Amazing. My home state. Tell me more.

Aislyn: All right. Well, so as I suggested, it is called the Rabbit Hole Entrepreneur program. And yeah, great name, but it was launched in 2021 by the owners of Obsidian Wine Company. And it’s based in Sonoma. So if you’re in Northern California and you want to drink wine, absolutely go there for the tasting room, which is gorgeous. It was designed by Seth Moore, who is responsible for some of San Francisco’s coolest restaurants. And of course, they have great wine.

Jenn: Oh my gosh, you’re my person to talk to right now. I am California dreaming right now. I am feeling a road trip. I want to go south from my home here in Washington State. Tell me more like what does this program do?

Aislyn: Well, as you may know or may not know, it’s very expensive to start a wine label. And so that kind of weeds out a lot of people who might have interest, talent, and the experience to make these amazing wines, but they don’t necessarily have the backing or the funds or the family. And so Rabbit Hole provides space and tools for those winemakers to do everything from crushing grapes to cellaring their wines. And they even provide more social aspects like mentorship.

Nikki: Amazing. My parents actually have been making wine as a hobby for a little while, so I know that it’s quite an involved process. How big is this program? Like, how many people can participate and is it possible to drink their wines?

Aislyn: Yes. Well, first of all, I’d love to try one of your parents’ wines one of these days. But Rabbit Hole chooses one person a year. You have to apply. And so far, four entrepreneurs have gone through the program, and we’ll link out to all of them in the show notes, if you really want to go down the rabbit hole, but two cool examples that I really love. Leap of Grapes Wines helmed by Blair Fang and from Justin Michel Ward. Tribute. And they’re all small batch wines. I think it’s you can’t make any more than like 300 cases per year. So it’s a pretty small program.

Jenn: I bet there is such cool experimentation that came out of this. I mean, this seems like the place where like, if you’re a true wine nerd and want to know, like what’s kind of at the vanguard at the bleeding edge, like this is the place to see that.

Aislyn: Yeah. And I think that the lack of overhead is really kind of helping to facilitate that. So there’s one label called Mad Marvelous, and they have a wine called Mad Irene, which is a blend of Brianna and Saint Croix grapes. And I had never heard of either of those, and I haven’t tried the wine yet, but the description says it looks like a red wine and smells like a white wine, which is very intriguing. And I want to drink that, you know, right now, basically. And it wasn’t intentional. But the program has also become a fellowship of sorts for BIPOC winemakers. So all four recipients to date have been people of color, and it was just heartening. I know that’s not a ton, but it was really heartening to see more diversity in what has historically been a really white space. So, you know, I’m going to raise my wine glass to that.

Nikki: Cheers. Hear, hear. Cheers.

Aislyn: Yes.

Nikki: A great way to end a feel good Friday. Thanks, Aislyn.

Aislyn: We should always end feel good Fridays with wine or cocktails.

Jenn: That’s a good rule.

Nikki: Couldn’t agree more.

This was a Feel Good Friday episode of Unpacked by Afar.

Jenn: Make sure to tune in every Friday for a dose of good news from Afar’s favorite travel writers.

Aislyn: You can subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player and follow @AfarMedia on social.

Nikki: And don’t forget to subscribe to our Behind the Mic newsletter at afar.com.

Jenn: This show is part of the Airwave Media Podcast Network. Music from Chris Colin and Epidemic Sound.

Aislyn: We’ll see you next Friday. Bring your wine glass.

Jenn: Woo hoo!

Nikki: Bye.